FYI, the Institute on Community Integration Staff Newsletter

May 2012

ICI Part of National Effort to Support Inclusive Faith Communities

Participation in the faith community of one’s choosing is an essential part of life for many people. However, for people with disabilities there can often be barriers to such participation and inclusion. To help raise awareness about the barriers, and equip faith communities to grow in their ability to include people with disabilities, a group of University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) came together in 2011 to found the National Collaborative on Disability, Religion, and Inclusive Spiritual Supports. The collaborative is led by Rev. Dr. Bill Gaventa from the Elizabeth M. Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities (NJ UCEDD) and Dr. Erik Carter from Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (TN UCEDD), and among the founding partners is the Institute on Community Integration (ICI).

The Collaborative is carrying out coordinated training, technical assistance, research, and resource development for people with disabilities and their families, clergy, congregations, and service providers in the arena of inclusive spiritual supports, with a particular focus on working with seminaries to impact these supports. Angela Amado, who represents ICI in the Collaborative, has worked for many years with faith communities in Minnesota in the area of research and training on improving social inclusion for people with disabilities in congregations. Through the Collaborative she has begun conversations with area seminaries on ways that ICI could partner with them to support education in inclusion for current and future clergy and other religious leaders, as well as congregations. “Spiritual expression is an essential part of life, which is often limited for people with disabilities,” says Angela. “Seminary faculty recognize this glaring need for more support and training, and are extremely excited about working with us.” Among the assistance that ICI can offer seminaries is help to:

  • Address disability issues in existing courses.

  • Develop a course focused on disability.

  • Coordinate a focused one-day or two-day conference/workshop on inclusion.

  • Collaborate on continuing education training events for clergy.

  • Develop field education opportunities for seminary students with disability service providers or advocacy organizations.

  • Address the needs of their students who have disabilities.

Seminaries in return could provide personnel to address spirituality and disability in training programs at the University of Minnesota, and collaborate with ICI on relevant training and professional development opportunities such as community symposia/workshops jointly sponsored by both organizations.

Other UCEDD’s that are founding partners in the Collaborative are the Human Development Institute (KY), Center for Leadership in Disability (GA), Partnership for People With Disabilities (VA), Center for Persons With Disabilities (UT), the Institute for Human Development (MO), Center for Disability Studies (TX), JFK Partners (CO), and Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies (ME).

FFI about ICI’s involvement and Minnesota activities contact Angela at amado003@umn.edu or 651-698-5565. FFI about the Collaborative visit http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=7421&id=17.